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glassjaw7 « Russian spin on the classic Big Muff »
Published on 03/16/11 at 15:56The Russian Big Muff Pi is a variation of the classic American Big Muff. There have been many revisions of the Russian Muff. Mine is version 8 in the black, small-box. Though for a small box, it still takes up quite a bit of real estate on my board!
The Muff has the usual simple control layout, consisting of Volume, Sustain and Tone.
The knobs seem to feel almost loose. They are securely attached, but they are extremely easy to turn. (This may be due to the fact that I got a second-hand unit.) A small nudge will turn the knobs so I lightly marked my settings!
Other than than that, this pedal feels very solid and sturdy! Good build quality.
UTILIZATION
The pedal has three controls; Volume which controls the output level, Sustain which is the amount of gain, and Tone, which sweeps through a wide range of high end and mid control.
Finding a good tone is as easy as twisting the knobs and playing. It doesn't get any easier!
SOUND QUALITY
The Muff produces a singing, fuzzy distortion that only a Big Muff can. It's similar to the American Muff, but has a smoother gain character with a bit less sustain. While the American Muff gets very raspy, gnarly and bright, the Russian retains a more "polite" distortion tone, even with the tone knob cranked up all the way.
But worry not fuzz seekers, this guy can still get plenty aggressive and cut through with a searing tone. Turning the sustain to about 2:00 and the Tone all the way up executes some bright and cutting, yet thick classic Muff tones. Knock the tone all the way back and you've got an almost boosted lower mid section. It's almost counter-intuitive, in that the tone knob still seems to boost certain frequencies when backed all the way counter-clockwise. Cool!
I found that the Big Muff excelled at that classic Muff tone, only with a twist. Big and fat, layered gain that sustains for days. Great for Gilmour-ish leads or a wall of Pumpkins style fuzz! Using the pedal as a boost for an overdriven amp was not beneficial at all, but that's not what the Muff was designed for. It's meant to be fuzzed out and played loud!
I was able to pull one other cool sound from the Muff by dialing back the Sustain a bit and running it into a BB preamp with the gain set low to moderate. This resulted in crazy, compressed oscillation that seemed to feedback and sustain without even playing the guitar! Fun stuff!
Bassists also like the Russian Muff because it adds a cool fuzzy edge to their sound while keeping the punchy low end intact.
OVERALL OPINION
Though the Russian Muff has been discontinued, i highly suggest trying to grab a used one. They are a blast to play. Unique, singing overdrive that is a classic for a reason! I might have to buy an American Muff now because they are so addicting
The Muff has the usual simple control layout, consisting of Volume, Sustain and Tone.
The knobs seem to feel almost loose. They are securely attached, but they are extremely easy to turn. (This may be due to the fact that I got a second-hand unit.) A small nudge will turn the knobs so I lightly marked my settings!
Other than than that, this pedal feels very solid and sturdy! Good build quality.
UTILIZATION
The pedal has three controls; Volume which controls the output level, Sustain which is the amount of gain, and Tone, which sweeps through a wide range of high end and mid control.
Finding a good tone is as easy as twisting the knobs and playing. It doesn't get any easier!
SOUND QUALITY
The Muff produces a singing, fuzzy distortion that only a Big Muff can. It's similar to the American Muff, but has a smoother gain character with a bit less sustain. While the American Muff gets very raspy, gnarly and bright, the Russian retains a more "polite" distortion tone, even with the tone knob cranked up all the way.
But worry not fuzz seekers, this guy can still get plenty aggressive and cut through with a searing tone. Turning the sustain to about 2:00 and the Tone all the way up executes some bright and cutting, yet thick classic Muff tones. Knock the tone all the way back and you've got an almost boosted lower mid section. It's almost counter-intuitive, in that the tone knob still seems to boost certain frequencies when backed all the way counter-clockwise. Cool!
I found that the Big Muff excelled at that classic Muff tone, only with a twist. Big and fat, layered gain that sustains for days. Great for Gilmour-ish leads or a wall of Pumpkins style fuzz! Using the pedal as a boost for an overdriven amp was not beneficial at all, but that's not what the Muff was designed for. It's meant to be fuzzed out and played loud!
I was able to pull one other cool sound from the Muff by dialing back the Sustain a bit and running it into a BB preamp with the gain set low to moderate. This resulted in crazy, compressed oscillation that seemed to feedback and sustain without even playing the guitar! Fun stuff!
Bassists also like the Russian Muff because it adds a cool fuzzy edge to their sound while keeping the punchy low end intact.
OVERALL OPINION
Though the Russian Muff has been discontinued, i highly suggest trying to grab a used one. They are a blast to play. Unique, singing overdrive that is a classic for a reason! I might have to buy an American Muff now because they are so addicting
